How much would you pay for a silver bullet?

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silverlance

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How much would you pay for a silver bullet?

That's the argument that came up today. Some friends and I were watching Underworld and we got into a very heated discussion about silver bullets - about the feasibility of making them, of whether or not it would actually kill a vampire (remember it has to stay lodged inside, it can't be just through and through!), and how much one would be worth.

Well, I called up a friend who does investment casts and another whose father buys and sells scrap metal.

The project is far from complete, but by the end of april I intend to have at least six Vampire Killer bullets.

Now the problem is this: I've never reloaded much less cast a bullet in my life. Help!

Okay, this is what I have:
* some scrap silver (some of it is old silverware!!)
* a guy who is positive that if i supply him with a master bullet he can make an investment mold, melt the metal, and cast it (not sure how precise the measurements would be though)
* a LEE classic loader kit for .357 magnum

What do I need to buy further and what resources should I look into?

Should I make it hollow point or solid?

Will the silver damage the barrel?

Which gun should I buy to fire it? (i have no .357 gun... it has to be a revolver though to reduce chances of screw ups)
 
can't afford the gun =(

I was actually hoping somewhat that someone would suggest 7.62 Nagant because I can probably get one for about $100 including ffl hehe
 
Okay, this is what I have:
* a guy who is positive that if i supply him with a master bullet he can make an investment mold, melt the metal, and cast it (not sure how precise the measurements would be though)
Click to expand...

Since you're working with a 357, why not just buy a commercial bullet mold for 38/357? Seems a lot easier than making a special mold.

A good 158 gr, SWC should work as well as anything.
 
Silver doesn't hurt vampires. :scrutiny:
I read a story once about a gun writer and his buddy trying to make silver bullits. It was a dismal failure but a hilarious read. It could possibly be done with a lost wax cast, swaging and polishing. I don't think you will have success with a bullit mold.
 
They don't hurt vampires but are effective against werewolves :neener: or so I heard ;)

Also, didn't the Lone Ranger (the Great-Uncle of the Green Hornet -- according to the Comics) use silver bullets?
 
If you search you can find silver bullets. I've read that silver shrinks and does not fillout the cavity like lead does so the best ways to make bullets are either swaging or turning on a lathe. BTW silver is for werewolves, but for vampires you could have the bullets blessed, make a hollow point and make a ballistic tip from a very dense wood, I think the friction of the barrel would cause the rifling to turn the holy water in to holy steam and escape the bullet prior to impact.
 
I would be worried about the engraving force. I believe silver is much harder than copper, and I know it's alot harder than lead.
 
You can always engrave....

a Cross on the nose of the bullet.........that should work on vampires.......You could always silverplate your lead bullets. Should work.....silver is silver.....chris3
 
My first wife had some cartridges in .38 Special that were her deceased father's. (He was a LEO.)

Anyway, these cartridges with silver bullets were his 'parade' cartridges, supposedly.
These cartridges were in a very small presentation case, along with her Dad's badge.

The cartridges looked real. There were six of them. Three were mounted in the case on their sides, three were mounted, on the casehead.
 
Here is a post I made across the street:

Has anyone checked this place out?
Bullet Forge | "Custom Silver Bullets Hand Crafted "

I sent him an email asking about 7.62 calibers, x25, x39 and 54R. Just because I have always wanted a few silver bullets...... yeah, I am weird.

Anyway this is his reply,...

Good morning.
I do make and sell the 7.62x39, just haven't updated the site in a while.
as for 7.62x25, I don't have any dies or brass to reload that round. I
should be able to make a .308" pistol round however.

7.62x54, again no dies or brass, however if I got some brass I could
probably seat the bullet.

Sadly no live ammo until I get an FFL.

Here is a picture of the 39
ak47round.jpg

Thanks

Bill
 
Okay, great ideas so far.

1. I've thought about infusing it with garlic a la underworld's ultraviolet rounds. well, I don't know if garlic would survive the casting process. after all silver melts at a VERY high temperature (that's why I cant use regular bullet molds, they would melt the mold!)

2. silver doesnt hurt vamps? doh! ok, I'll groove a nice cross into the tip of each using a dremel too. Not sure how I'm going to be able to fit a piece of wood into that though. maybe i could... i knwo the swedes fired entire bullets made of wood through their rifles. also, when the round obturates i think the wood will just fall out. hm.. okay, they will be dual purpose rounds - blessed and bathed in holy water for vamps, silver for werewolves. i'm defintiely casting hollow points though

3. silver shrinks? hm. ok that will be a problem. that means i'll have to keep making molds until i find one that fits.

4. what powder to use for silver?

5. should i just skip all this cartridge nonsense and go straight out van helsing style with a blackpowder single shot pistol? i think i can get one of those pretty cheap and then i wouldn't have to worry about trying to get a silver bullet to seat in a case.

6. i'm also thinking about making a silver alloy. how about lead and silver? would that work?
 
this seems a bit silly making a bullet for vampires. wouldnt it be more practical to be making zombie killer rounds?
Click to expand...

Now, initially I agreed with you. However, I believe a standard HP round is more than sufficient for the lumbering undead. Nothing special is really necessary. Always be prepared.
 
5. should i just skip all this cartridge nonsense and go straight out van helsing style with a blackpowder single shot pistol? i think i can get one of those pretty cheap and then i wouldn't have to worry about trying to get a silver bullet to seat in a case.
Click to expand...

Now there's an idea.

Even better: Get a .45/70 bullet mold... the diameter is supposed to be around .458 IIRC. Something light though, around 200 grains if you can find it. Pour your silver, and the bullet will contract due to the different material tolerances probably to somewhere between .451 and .455.

Now find yourself a Remington Army model .44 caliber cap and ball pistol. It actually shoots .45 caliber balls... I don't know why it's called a .44. Ruger makes one, called the Old Army I think. No need for cartridges, just a cap and some Triple Seven powder, tamp the ball in nice and tight and smear some crisco over the top of the bullet to prevent cook-off of neighboring cylinders when shooting.

And now you have your anti-werewolf gun.
 
You know, if it weren't so darn rare and expensive, pure gold would be an excellent material for bullets (it is almost as dense as depleted uranium, but much softer, like lead). It is over half again as dense as lead, meaning a 69-grain .223 boattail match bullet would weigh about 115 grains in gold (off the top of my head), with a correspondingly high ballistic coefficient.

Ammo would be a little bit pricey, though...
 
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